If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

This is why smartphone gaming sucks hard.

Titled Breakout Boost, it adds plenty of modern features to the classic brick-breaker, including power-ups, special bricks and – the most modern feature of all – in-app purchases.

Breakout Boost will contain five (five) free levels and "over 200 more unique brick layouts available via in-app purchase." Specific prices and levels aren't mentioned, but here's hoping Atari opts for the popular "here's a ton of stuff for 99 cents" model.

======

I'm guessing all the "extra" levels available through in app purchase will cost either .99 cents a piece or maybe 2 for .99 cents, which means that Atari wants you to pay either 100 or 200 dollars to play Breakout. That is a MASSIVE rip off and I honestly don't see why anybody in their right minds would get in on a game like this. Are the people who buy games on their smartphones "new" gamers who have no idea what you should get for you money when purchasing games? I mean really, individually buying levels for a Breakout game? Unless they sell something like 50 packs of levels for a couple dollars or something, then that's not so bad. But, judging by other games that rely on in app purchase, I'm guessing they're going to nickel and dime it like crazy.

Personally, I'd rather just buy an actual Breakout or Arkanoid cabinet.

And I'd rather just get the ROMs or freeware versions, if I really, really wanted to play Breakout. And for $200, shit, you could get the damn cabinet... that's a little harder to fit in my little apartment, though.

I thought from the title you might complain about the tiny screens, shitty ergonomics, and bad controls, but you're absolutely right that the pricing's a scam too. I can't see extra levels being substantially cheaper than the five (FIVE) included with the game, so, yep, total scam.

I can only hope that the entire thing collapses in on itself as more and more crappy and overpriced programs flood the market, each beating the others over the head to try to be heard above the roar produced by Angry Birds.

I can only hope that the entire thing collapses in on itself as more and more crappy and overpriced programs flood the market, each beating the others over the head to try to be heard above the roar produced by Angry Birds.

Um, "overpriced?"

Compare the average price of an iOS game with the average price of a PC or console game.

They've not said at all that each level will be priced at 99cents / 59p. You're assuming. I very much expect them to sell packs, rather than trying to get you to pay that much money for that little content.

I thought it was because the screens are too small and the control schemes suck.

"You go up to a man, and you say, "How are things going, Joe?" and he says, "Oh fine, fine — couldn't be better." And you look into his eyes, and you see things really couldn't be much worse. When you get right down to it, everybody's having a perfectly lousy time of it, and I mean everybody. And the hell of it is, nothing seems to help much." - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Yeah the hyperbole in this thread is kind of silly. Games on smartphones are really not that expensive in fact they are to cheap say lots of developers on the app stores. People want it free or 99p anything above that and you've basically lost. Sure smartphones aren't that great at gaming, the battery gets sucked up which means you'll be likely to play only about 2 hours if that, the screen is a bit to small, and touchscreen is a very limited control.

I don't have a problem with price though, since all these companies are doing is seeing they cannot charge a lot intitally so giving you something for free and then charging you later on.

Good lord! 30 bux a year to play Tetris? That's insane. No surprise that EA is behind that. I love how they charge 99 cents for games but then you end up paying way more than that to get the full game experience.

It's a 5-level demo, then you can buy the extra levels. I'd wager they'll be something like $1 for 50 levels, given that that's the approach Atari took with Asteroids Gunner last month.

ok, that's not too bad, but why not just sell the whole package for 5 dollars or something, why split it up? I'd still bet we'll see some game come out with 1 dollar levels eventually (if one doesn't already exist). These companies like EA, Atari and others are no longer look at their customers as gamers but as bank accounts they can take money from on an almost weekly or even daily basis in some cases.

ok, that's not too bad, but why not just sell the whole package for 5 dollars or something, why split it up?

As i said earlier a lot of developers have been saying that if you have a price over say $2 you get no traffic or buying from people. People on smartphones generally want it for free or 99c. Thats probably why they are going for this option because they know if they went the other option people would not buy it.

I can only hope that the entire thing collapses in on itself as more and more crappy and overpriced programs flood the market, each beating the others over the head to try to be heard above the roar produced by Angry Birds.

Angry Birds is the WoW of iOS games, like WoW is the WoW of MMORPGSBBQ.

re: soldant

Originally Posted by soldant

I can only hope that the entire thing collapses in on itself as more and more crappy and overpriced programs flood the market, each beating the others over the head to try to be heard above the roar produced by Angry Birds.

My good sir i am not a strong pc gamer but that was a great statement
i salute you